Most people don’t go to work expecting to sustain an injury, however, there’s always the risk of an accident happening. No matter what line of work you’re in, there’s always the risk of injury, even though some careers are definitely riskier than others. But, even if you have a nice comfortable office job, you never know what’s going to happen. So, if you ever find yourself having sustained an injury in the workplace through no fault of your own, here’s what to do to make sure that everything runs as smoothly as possible and that you get the compensation that you deserve.
#1. Inform a Supervisor or Manager:
The first thing that you should do if you are injured on the job is inform your supervisor or manager straight away. Not only will this allow them to quickly get you a first-aider or call for emergency medical help if needed, it will also begin the process of you receiving any worker’s compensation that you may be entitled to. However, a verbal exchange may not always be enough. In certain states, you’ll be required to inform your manager in writing about any injuries in order to get worker’s compensation. Since you may not be in a position to write a letter after recently sustaining an injury, you should aim to do this at the earliest possible convenience.
#2. Get Medical Attention:
If you sustain an injury at work that you will likely be eligible to receive worker’s compensation for, then the next thing to do after informing your supervisor is to seek medical attention. Of course, how you go about doing this will depend on the severity of your injury. For smaller injuries, it’s probably fine to make a doctor’s appointment as soon as possible, whilst more serious issues may require an emergency response. Depending on your role and the company that you work for, you may be able to see your own doctor, or you could be required to see one chosen by your employer. Be sure that you are clear on any guidelines regarding this before making your appointment.
#3. Keep Records:
If you have been seriously injured and expect a large benefit pay-out from your worker’s compensation, then it’s a wise idea to keep detailed records of your injury and your recovery period. In addition, if you are currently seeing a doctor who has been provided to you by your employer, then you should be very careful – a doctor paid by your employer could be more motivated to minimize the seriousness of your injury, or link it to a pre-existing condition. So, don’t exaggerate your past health or give them any reason to believe that the injury could have been caused or worsened by a pre-existing condition if this is not true. You may also want to speak to another doctor, or even hire a qualified injury attorney who can help you improve your chances of getting the full amount of compensation.
Have you ever been injured at work? Share your story in the comments.
This listed some good factors of what to take into account when filing for personal injury. I think that this makes a great point about how important it is to get a second opinion from another doctor. It might even be helpful to talk to an attorney of some kind to further protect yourself.